does sex cause breakouts?

Yes and no. The truth is during puberty, the level of sexual hormones is more abundant and they may heighten your sexual desire. Sexual hormones also increase the production of sebum. If bacteria (known as P. acnes) are present together with sebum (oil), then this can trigger acne development. This is the only link that can be established between sex and acne. So the truth remains that sex is not the sole cause of acne but can possibly contribute to its development in a round-about way.